Category: Fighting Games

A couple of days ago, Venom47 took to YouTube to show off M. Bison’s parrying skills. For him, it might have just been Tuesday, but for fellow Bison player Dr. Fatbody, it was inspiration to show off some tech that takes that same parry technique even further. In a brief video, he breaks down some options that reward the right parry read even more significantly than Venom47’s preferred option of scissor kicks.

In the words of Dr. Fatbody, parries can lead to “big damage” and, thanks to some creative uses of some of the more unusual properties of Bison’s V-Trigger, he’s able to show off how to take maximum advantage of such situations. Not content to leave it at that, he also shows off some neat tech that can stuff out a button-happy opponent on wakeup, even if they throw out an invincible move like Ryu’s Shoryuken!

Information is power, so even if you don’t call the Shadaloo Dictator your main, make sure you know what you’re up against in the video below.

Source: Dr. Fatbody

Editor’s note: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the writer and do not reflect Shoryuken as a whole.

No-one likes being lied to. Honesty is the best policy according to the saying, yet for many people, dishonesty seems to be rife in fighting games. You’ll commonly hear people talk about supposed ‘honest’ and ‘dishonest’ characters–those who play a game as it is meant to be played and others who use gimmicks to jank out the opponent and go against the core tenets of play which players seem to sign up to when they start on the fighting game path. While this is a quaint thought and it would be great if we didn’t have to deal with gimmicky characters, that is not the reality we live in. We play with stacked decks, games where not all characters are created equal and where some characters are just plain better than others. The idea of character honesty is a myth, something most players tell themselves in order to vindicate their own character choice or vilify someone else’s when they lose. It creates a negative attitude, assuming that your pick of character is the correct one and that anyone else is not playing the game as it is intended to be played, according to you. Letting this myth cloud your mind blocks your path to truly growing as a player and getting some wins, rather constantly having to hold that L.

Let’s first interrogate what we mean by ‘character honesty’. Usually, characters that rely on players having solid fundamentals to do well are designated as honest. Your Ryus, your Pits, any character that doesn’t have a lot of obvious gimmicky techniques to do damage is what people will probably call honest. It’s also a byword for either ‘I use this character and I play x game how it is meant to be played’, ‘I can beat this character so it is therefore honest’ or ‘I never see this character in play so by process of elimination, they’re either honest or just bad’. Then you have your dishonest or fraudulent characters, those which do rely on gimmicks and janky strategies in order to triumph in combat. Bayonetta, R. Mika and Ice Climbers spring to mind as prescient examples of ‘fraudulent characters’, fighters whose very design seems contrary to the spirit of their game.

Now, if you will, imagine a word devoid of gimmicks. Gimmicks are fundamental to fighting game variety, otherwise we’d all be playing an endless series of Ryu mirrors. Each character is differentiated from the next due to the fact they have attributes and moves which are unique to them, so this conflation of gimmicks and dishonesty is one which doesn’t ring true. When someone says ‘x character is gimmicky and dishonest’, what is usually meant is ‘I can’t beat this strategy/this strategy is so dumb yet I’m losing, ergo it must be fraudulent.’ You usually hear this at the mid to low levels of play, where characters like R. Mika and Ice Climbers can stomp other mid-level players due to how easy it is to utilize their unique abilities and blow someone up. Wobbling can be learned in an afternoon, R. Mika players only need to learn one corner set up and bang, there goes two thirds of your health bar. Both of these characters can likewise be blown up by learning the match up and being aware of the gimmicks and actually having some counter play. If you are playing Melee in 2016 and you still don’t know how to effectively deal with wobbling, you’re probably not that great of a player. This is not to say these characters aren’t dumb and that their strategies are one-note, of course not. I hate seeing someone get wobbled and I dread ever getting Irish whipped into the corner by Mika, but I know that these strategies can be beaten if I get past the ‘dishonest’ stigma and focus on learning the correct counter play. Moreover, the other player is going to look the fraudulent one when I destroy their one-note playstyle by just counterpicking to another character or being mindful of said gimmicks. There are no fraudulent characters, only fraudulent players.

Having said this, Bayonetta is a very interesting case as she really does seem to follow that argument of her playstyle being at odds with what Smash is. Not only has ZeRo said this himself, but many of her moves like her aerial After Burner Kick and her Up B actually negate character weight and DI at certain periods. So, she quite literally breaks the physics and universal mechanics of the game in order for her combos to work properly. Also, it seems to be a lot of top level players who are actively complaining about her as well as those at the mid to low level, partially because her infamous 0 to death combos work best on other top tier combatants. However, she is still beatable. People like ESAM are finding new counters to deal with her antics and looking at the results, we are not getting all Bayonetta top 8s where games might as well be decided on who lands the first side B. Similar to Mika and Ice Climbers, while she is incredibly frustrating to fight, it is a battle that can be studied and won. Plus, we are living in the age of balance patches (at least for current games like SFV and Smash 4) so overcentralized characters can still be readjusted if they are just too strong, which seems to be the case with the latest patch for Smash 4. Players can only be carried so far before they reach a skill ceiling and trust me, those who are carried by dishonesty do fall off after people learn the player matchup. It’s a case of small profit, quick return. Also, every single player is carried by their character to some extent. That’s why they picked that character, in order to get more wins or do better. Hardly anyone is actively going to choose a bad character which they do not have some mastery or gimmick they can utilise with them.

That seems to be the core of the matter; people want their efforts rewarded when they supposedly make an ‘honest’ decision, when they are playing games which are fundamentally rigged. It’s not my fault I picked a bad character and lost to gimmicks, it is the other player’s fault for being fraudulent. Imagine you’re about to run track and before the race starts, you can pick either a normal pair of running shoes, some shoes made of iron, and Hermes’ winged sandals that make you fly. Given the choice, you’re going to pick the flying shoes 9 times of out 10. That is what the character select screen is: a stacked deck where you can pick how much the game is rigged in your favour.

People who pick supposed ‘fraudulent’ or dishonest characters are playing to win. They are still playing within the rules of the games, they aren’t cheating in any way, they are just using all the tools they have available to get the win which is an admirable thing to do in a competitive game. If you are in it to be the best, why wouldn’t you pick the option which is going to make your effort a lot easier? If you are gunning to be a character specialist or trying to push the limits of a low tier then go nuts, but don’t be complaining about the iron shoes when everyone else is zooming past you.

Sources: ZeRo, ESAM, Smashboards, uekibachii

Anyone who has clocked some hours swinging fists in The King of Fighters knows the fast-paced fighting this series provides comes accompanied with a killer soundtrack. And when a game has so many memorable songs, it’s only natural for fans to take the time to give some of the music their own twist–gvgkid is one such fan.

With King of Fighters XIV right around the corner, there’s no better way to breathe in that nostalgia than with a fresh remix of an old favorite. If you’re in the market for a version of Iori’s classic theme that dials the soul all the way up to 11, you’ll not want to miss this track.

Gvgkid’s channel contains some other fighting game theme remixes as well, so if you like what you hear be sure to check them out.

Source: gvgkid

Revisiting his “Legacy” video series, this time Maximilian plays Super Gem Fighter Mini-Mix–better known as its other name: Pocket Fighter. This light-hearted, cartoony take on the Street Fighter and Darkstalker franchises includes a massive amount of Capcom fan service in its stage backgrounds and story sequences. Often even more prominent references appear in the “costume combos,” during which characters transform into a variety of things, particularly other characters from Capcom franchises–such as Chun-Li suddenly switching into Jill Valentine’s outfit to pop a few shots into her opponent.

Do note that the videos contain some NSFW language.

Super Gem Fighter Mini-Mix was originally released on CPS II arcade systems in 1997, later coming to home consoles on both the PlayStation 1 and 2. Here’s a promotional flyer highlighting this game’s “chibi” art style, first seen in the arcade puzzle game Puzzle Fighter II Turbo.

Source: Maximilian Dood

Smash as a series has always been a very technical, high-execution fighter. This can make it a bit hard for newer players to pick up the game and get into the action. Luckily, Super Smash Academy exists, and they’re devoted to breaking down potentially confusing and complex mechanics for anyone to easily pick up.

In their most recent video, they talk about Powershielding, a technique similar to Parrying in Street Fighter III. The folks at Super Smash Academy dissect this technique and its applications across all of the Smash titles, while also offering a look at the difference it can make in some specific matchups.

On their channel other helpful videos can be found, such as a breakdown of Ledge Gaurding and Wave Dashing.

Source: Super Smash Academy

Super Smash Bros. Brawl ended up being one of the most hacked console games we’ve ever seen. It took years to get it to the point of large-scale mods like Project M, but as luck would have it, modding for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is already picking up steam, and is well on its way to catching up to its predecessor.

For starters, there’s no shortage of skin/texture mods available for the newest entry in the series, and we’ve already figured out how to replace voice clips for individual costumes as well. You can check out a couple of examples of this with these Goku and Shadow the Hedgehog options. While replacing costumes in Brawl had some pretty strict limits, Smash 4 actually features a whopping 263 available costume slots for each character.

Some additional skins available for download include Quint from Mega Man II on Game Boy, a recolor based on Mega Man 1’s infamous boxart, and DeadMK even brings us… erm… Grand Dad Mario?

But costumes and voices aren’t the only things being modded; character moveset modifications are also possible, with one of the most interesting examples definitely being Ganondorf equipped with Witch Time.

If you’re looking to expand your collection of tournament viable stages, check out Drake Blight’s hazard-free stage variants. Custom music is entirely possible as well, and every character can even have their own distinct victory jingle! At the moment, you have to replace existing tracks, but the ability to add new music slots is well underway.

If you want to do some exploring on your own, you can find some great stuff at Smash4Mods. In the event that you find something you absolutely need to install, but you’re new to the mod installation process, this comprehensive guide from TS4M will help get your started. If you’d prefer to create your own mods, but don’t know where to start, you can find a guide for that here.

Before the close of this article, we would like to stress that creating and installing mods of any kind does come with inherent risks. Please keep this in mind before attempting any modifications of your own.

Sources: KTH, SonicBrawler, TS4M, Drake Blight, VaanRose, Dead MK, and a big thanks to TheDinoman of NeoGAF for helping with this roundup and taking some awesome screencaps.

HORI’s Real Arcade Pro Premium VLX arcade sticks are some of the most desirable sticks out on the market today. They’ve also been the ones that we here at Shoryuken have yet to get our hands on for a proper review–until now.

To end our HORI VLX review drought, the fine folks over at Arcade Shock have stepped in to provide us with a review copy of the latest edition of the VLX: the Real Arcade Pro Premium VLX Hayabusa for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.

The Basics

The Real Arcade Pro Premium VLX Hayabusa is the latest iteration of HORI’s VLX line of high-end arcade sticks. As most of you already know, the VLX part of the name refers to the fact that the stick is designed to reproduce the control panel of the Taito Vewlix arcade cabinet (in the case of the VLX Hayabusa, the red Vewlix F) used for many modern Japanese arcade games.

Despite being based on the Vewlix however, the VLX does not mount an actual Vewlix top panel. While this may disappoint some folks who’re thinking of mods, such as mounting the 2 player version of said panel, this is understandable considering the VLX’s already hefty size.

At a whopping 22.5 inches by 10 inches, the VLX is one of the largest home arcade sticks ever built, dwarfed in size only by certain 2-player monstrosities such as the Sega Virtua Stick and X-Arcade Tankstick. Were it made any larger to accommodate an actual Vewlix panel, then the thought of carrying a VLX around to tournaments and events would likely move from somewhat difficult to downright ludicrous.

This latest edition of the VLX features HORI’s Hayabusa line of arcade parts. The Hayabusa lever has already been around for awhile, the Hayabusa buttons, however, are a new addition, replacing their previous line of Kuro buttons.

Design & Build Quality

Similar to the original Taito Vewlix, and unlike most other home arcade sticks, the RAP Premium VLX line features a good amount of metal in its body, with the only plastic parts being the rear panel facing away from the player.

Next to the Vewlix based design, this nearly all-metal body is arguably one of the biggest draws of the VLX line. Aside from the sturdiness of the material, metal also adds a bit more weight than plastic. This added weight gives the stick a stability in lap play normally only seen only in wooden sticks or older, American style arcade sticks.

Like the Vewlix control panel that it’s based on (as well as many other premium arcade sticks), the VLX’s top panel opens to allow access to the stick’s innards. The top panel features a large metal hinge that spans the entire width of the stick. This large single hinge should help prevent issues with hinge failures–something that more than a few folks have experienced with older Razer sticks (including our own review copy).

As for the parts, while there were initial doubts about HORI’s own line of arcade parts when they first debuted, many of those have now been put to rest. The Hayabusa line is now seeing action in actual arcades and has proved a worthy competitor to the traditional Sanwa and Seimitsu parts.

The only weak point in the design seems to be the door to the cable compartment which seems to want to fall off almost on its own. Further inspection shows that the lever action of the door against the floor of the compartment when fully opened causes it to pop off the hinges. That said, the lid popping off is still a better option than anything snapping or breaking off.

Ergonomics

As with most retail arcade sticks these days, the VLX uses the now ubiquitous Taito Vewlix layout. However, the stick takes this one step further by using the exact layout used in the cabinets, and not just an approximation.

The good news is that this means that all the ergonomic advantages of the layout are maintained. With the buttons close to the center, the right hand falls naturally on them, with the thumb resting easily on the X button.

However, those who would prefer a wider layout will be somewhat disappointed. With the wider space allowed by the VLX’s design, some may probably wish that the lever was mounted a bit further to the left.

One advantage of the wide layout however is the fact that, despite having the Options/Start button on the face of the top panel, it’s far enough away that it’s not that easy to hit accidentally.

As for palm space, the VLX has the player rest their palm on the angled surface on the front panel. Players used to the original Mad Catz Tournament Edition (itself copying from the Vewlix) will likely by familiar with this arrangement. However, those used to newer sticks with a flat palm area may need time to adjust.

As previously mentioned, the VLX is a pretty heavy stick. While lap play with it is fine, the weight may mean that some players may feel the need to take some breaks every now and then. Additionally, the wide form factor means that folks who play on the floor may have a harder time finding a comfortable position with it.

As for the actual arcade hardware used, whether or not players will enjoy them depends on their preferences in sticks. The Hayabusa lever is unchanged from previous iterations, meaning that it still feels like a looser Sanwa JLF. Compared to the latter, the Hayabusa takes a smidge less effort to move which some players may like, while others may not.

The Hayabusa push buttons on the other hand are a marked improvement over HORI’s previous line of Kuro buttons. Many players felt that the plungers of the latter sat a bit high and that the actuation force required to depress them made them feel somewhat mushy or sticky. The new Hayabusa buttons address those with plungers that sit lower than on other push buttons. Additionally, the rims of the Hayabusa’s are lower as well, preventing fingers from scratching along their edges.

Customization

As is standard for most premium level arcade sticks these days, the VLX features an opening top panel. More precisely, the VLX pioneered this feature for arcade sticks in this current generation.

Unlike the offerings from Mad Catz and Razer however, the the VLX’s top panel doesn’t open with the simple push of a button. Rather, the top panel is secured with three hand twistable thumbscrews. These screws, which PC builders should be familiar with, are located in the wire compartment and can be unseated by hand. However, using a screwdriver still makes the job much easier.

Take note that the top panel is quite heavy and, since the hinge has no locking function, there’s a risk of inadvertently letting it slam shut on unsuspecting fingers (as is what happened to us during the course of this review).

Once open, the VLX provides access to all that’s needed to remove and replace the Hayabusa lever and buttons. The package itself comes with two button plugs which we promptly used to seal up the last two buttons to make this a true 6-button stick. The buttons that were removed were then attached to the spare button mounting clips built into the stick.

As for the lever, the mounting bracket provided will fit not only the HORI Hayabusa, but also the Sanwa JLF and, with the use of alternate mounting plates, competing offerings from Seimitsu and even Crown. However, as with most Japanese based arcade sticks, mounting an American or European lever wont be as easy, if possible at all.

One thing that the VLX doesn’t do that other sticks allow is the easy swapping of top panel art. To be as close to the arcade as possible, all VLXs have their top panel art printed on a laminated sticker stuck to the metal top panel. Those looking to change their art will either have to find a acrylic cover or buy a replacement top panel with its own printed art.

Performance

As with all native PlayStation 4 arcade sticks, the HORI RAP Premium VLX Hayabusa has a switch that allows it to be used on PlayStation 3s. Switching is simple enough with a toggle on the top panel. In addition to the PlayStation consoles, the VLX Hayabusa is also recognized by the PC and should work with most PC games barring any compatibility issues.

As for lag, we tested the VLX Hayabusa against a Mad Catz TE2 by wiring up a single button to both controllers. Using this method, we found no significant lag difference between controllers. Using Street Fighter V’s Ryu and his standing jab as a base, we recorded more trades with only a couple of counter hits in favor of the HORI.

That said, we did run into an annoying issue where both controllers would keep logging into the same account and not allow the player to log in as someone else. As a workaround, we were forced to run the tests in legacy mode, so results may vary in native PS4 mode.

Value

The VLX has always been an expensive stick to obtain. The Real Arcade Pro Premium VLX Hayabusa that we tested is currently only available in North America as an import-only item from Arcade Shock with a hefty $299.99 price tag. It shares that price with the only other VLX available in North America at the moment, the older RAP4 VLX Kuro.

Feature for feature, many cheaper arcade sticks stack up quite well to the VLX. The question now then is whether or not the extra level of over-engineering and aesthetic attention to detail is worth the price of entry.

The answer to this likely comes down to personal preferences, and whether or not someone looks at arcade sticks as not just controllers, but as works of art and engineering worth admiring and collecting.

A better comparison would be towards one off bespoke, custom arcade sticks. Many of these will surpass the level of detail and engineering seen in the VLX, however these come at a premium and many will go for prices above that of the VLX. HORI might just have hit the sweet spot between your everyday consumer arcade sticks and high end, bespoke customs.

Conclusion

Let’s cut to the chase, the HORI Real Arcade Pro Premium VLX Hayabusa, as with all HORI VLX arcade sticks, isn’t for everyone. Aside from the steep price of entry, not everybody will require this kind of over-engineering or this attention to detail.

However, as a specialist premium item for enthusiasts, the VLX Hayabusa is hard to beat. The level of engineering and detail here is unsurpassed in the realm of consumer arcade sticks. The only way to get something similar to this would be to commission a one-off custom.

It is these high-end customs that are, in truth, the VLX’s real competition and indeed, it provides decent value for money against those and may be the perfect gateway for any would-be collectors and aficionados not yet willing to shell out more for these.

Pros

• Metal casing provides a level of sturdiness not seen in cheaper arcade sticks.
• Weight makes it very stable.
• Easy open top panel allows for quick access to the internals.
• Official Taito license brings the closest you can get to an actual Vewlix arcade cabinet on your lap.
• Hayabusa buttons are a marked improvement over Kuros.

Cons

• Large size makes it hard to carry around to tournaments and events.
• Steep price.
• The looseness of the Hayabusa lever may not be for everyone
• Can’t easily change top panel art.